Amid ongoing controversy over the draft law, a special ceremony was held last weekend in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, during which financial grants were distributed to draft deserters who had been released from detention.
Participants in the ceremony received payments of NIS 1,000 for each day they spent in detention. Among the notable cases was that of a deserter who served 140 days in a military prison and was awarded a total grant of NIS 140,000.
In an announcement issued by the rabbis involved, it was stated that similar assistance will be provided to individuals who are arrested in the future as well. The funds distributed are part of an organized support system financed by the Satmar Hasidic community.